Need
by totallypants
Summary: When Charlie finds his girlfriend cheating, he loses everything he has ever wanted. But isn't it more a question of what he needs? HGCW rated for language and possible suggestive themes...
1. Chapter 1

Author's note

Disclaimer - NOT MINE!

Big hello to everybody! Don't worry, all is not lost with 'Unexpected places' - this just came to me so I wrote it... please be patient! xoxoxox

He just stood there. There she was, the woman he loved, in bed with another man.

His world had just caved in on itself. He was powerless over his mind. His thoughts were paralysed. They carried on, unaware that they had company. All he could hear was her voice- moaning. Just that sound made him queasy, after all, it was a sound that he had heard often.

He finally came to his senses, his vocal chords once again reinstated, and yet the only word he could utter was her name, "Sara."

At this, the bed buddies turned in unison, looks of shock and humiliation dawned on their faces. Sara pulled up the duvet, as if to cover her wrongdoings. Her mouth slowly formed the shape of a small "O" as the comprehension fluttered over her palely lit face.

"Charlie wait!" the young woman shouted as her boyfriend turned to leave. He paused briefly before fleeing the scene.

The woman pulled herself out of the bed and yanked on the shirt of the man currently residing in her bed and quickly stepped into her underwear, chasing Charlie down the stairs of their cottage. She caught up with him at the bottom and grabbed his shoulder, turning him forcefully to face her.

"Charlie" the sound of her voice stung him "I'm so sorry hun, it's just, well you've been away a lot lately and I didn't expect you home before seven."

"Oh yeah that's right, I do apologise, I'm early." He didn't even try to hide the hurt in his now wavering voice.

There was a long pause, broken by a stifled sob, which came from the scantily clad blonde twenty year old, standing awkwardly in the hall.

Charlie looked at his feet. "Sara, I love you. But it has to end. I thought that the three years we've been together meant something. But for you to gamble what we have for a quick, meaningless fuck tells me more about you than I could ever have even comprehended. It's over." His voice stayed calm. He had never been one to raise his voice, not even on the occasion of his girlfriend cheating.

She pleaded with him. She grovelled and cried but none of this mattered to him now. She didn't love him like he had thought. She hadn't been willing to wait a fortnight for his return when he once would have risked his life for her.

He delicately placed a chaste kiss on her lips and walked calmly out of the door when what he most wanted at that moment was to tear the whole place to pieces.

Once out in the cold December air, he allowed the tears finally to fall. Boys were not supposed to cry. Charlie never cried- he was always the shoulder to lean on, the one who listened to the problems of everybody else. Tonight, however, everybody else were forgotten. It was just him and his broken world keeping each other company.

An hour later, Molly and Arthur Weasley were discussing the best way to tackle those "pesky garden gnomes" when their fireplace glowed ominously and there appeared the figure of their second eldest child, carrying two suitcases and looking totally broken.

On the appearance of their son, Mrs Weasley stood and bustled over to the fireplace, knowing instantly that there was something very wrong, and she suspected she knew exactly what it was.

"She cheated on me" he mumbled, looking at the ground, unable to create eye-contact. With this, his mother engulfed him in a sympathetic hug and his father looked up from the dinner table, unsure what to say of do, so at the dining table he remained, simply observing the scene unfolding before his eyes.

So that's the first chapter up! like it? hate it? Whatever, please review if you want but if not that's fine, I don't do it for reviews :D xxx


	2. Bound

It was a week later, Charlie was still sitting in his old room, unwilling to leave, except for the rare occasion in which he chose to eat or wash.

There was a timid knock on his door, the owner of which obviously waiting for an invitation to enter. Hastily, Charlie granted this silent wish and the door slowly swung open revealing a petite frame burdened with a heavily loaded tray, packed with tea and odd assortments of snacks.

"Sorry to disturb Charlie, I just thought you could use some food" Hermione said, almost in a whisper. Charlie remained silent.

"Okay I'll go, I understand totally." She delicately placed the tray on Charlie's bed-side table and walked out through the small wooden door.

"Wait!" Hermione turned, surprised at the smooth voice of the man sitting on the four poster bed.

The girl stood in limbo for a couple of seconds before placing herself on the bed next to the man whom she barely knew.

"Charlie, I'm so sorry about what happened." She looked up at his melancholy face and brushed away a tear which was threatening to fall on his rough cheek. "I know, what you're thinking- that I'm just a kid who has no idea what she's on about, but I am truly sorry. If there's anything I can do, just say the word."

"I don't think you're just a kid" he blurted suddenly.

"Well thanks."

"Hmm yeah."

"Well anyway Charlie if you need anything…"

"Yeah thanks Hermione, you're a star."

With that she stood and exited swiftly through Charlie's door.


	3. Relief

Two days later, Hermione was sitting in her room reading "Hexes through the ages" by Gwendoline Aggeratey when a timid voice emitting from the other side of the door caused her to jump in surprise.

"Hermione? Can I come in?" The door slowly brushed open and there stood Charlie looking timidly at his feet.

"Hi Charlie- co- come in." To say Hermione was shocked to see the second eldest Weasley standing at her door was an understatement. He mind was flitting all over the place. Why was he there? Was he feeling better? Did he want sympathy?

Charlie lingered uncertainly in the doorway before pacing cautiously into the room and plonking himself down on a purple bean bag in the corner of the room. Hermione decided that it was best to wait for him to speak. He had to feel comfortable, she thought. A few seconds later, the silence was broken by a loud sneeze. Hermione giggled as Charlie looked confused by the volume of his own sneeze. In seeing his companion's usually composed face breaking down into fits of giggles, he couldn't help but laugh himself. Soon they were both in total hysterics and were unable to stop.

When Mrs Weasley poked her head round the door five minutes later, Charlie stopped laughing immediately, embarrassed to have let his guard down. Hermione, sensing the sudden tension also stopped laughing and greeted Molly with a smile.

After Charlie's mum had left, the silence returned to the room. Charlie just sat staring at his hands and Hermione thought of how unfortunate it was that that bitch of a girlfriend hadn't appreciated him. She must be crazy, Hermione thought and sighed to herself.

Charlie was annoyed at himself. This was supposed to be the worst week of his life. He had just lost the love of his life and yet he had been reduced to hysterics by a seventeen year old girl.

"It's nice to see you up and about Charlie."

"You make it sound as though I've had some terrible illness" he smiled. Hermione laughed.

"How are you doing anyway?" she asked sympathetically.

"Not great to be honest" he sighed. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have let myself feel so strongly for her, I just set myself up for this hurt."

"No, Char, it's her fault for not realizing how lucky she was" she argued.

"I was the lucky one: she was beautiful, clever, and just amazing. Although it turns out she was just an absolute bitch. I wonder how many times it happened. Every time I went away, she was just pleased because she could fuck another guy – each one better looking and more of an asshole than the last."

"You don't know that! He could have been the first. Not that It really matters. Once is all it takes I suppose."

"Yeah. I wish I hadn't wasted all that time though. I could have been with someone else, although nobody would be like her."

"It's done now though Char, everything happens for a reason" Hermione reasoned.

"Yeah I suppose so. I just wish I knew what it was" he pondered "Thanks 'Mione. It helps to talk about it."

Hermione blushed, she hated being the centre of attention, despite being Harry Potter's best friend.

"You're welcome any time Charlie" she smiled and squeezed his hand warmly.

"Do you realise that I've been in here for two whole hours?" Charlie laughed, checking his watch.

"Woah where did the time go?" Hermione giggled .

"Sorry for wasting your evening 'Mione."

"You haven't, I've enjoyed it."

"It's nice just to take my mind off her you know?"

"Glad to help" Hermione smiled, "She doesn't deserve your tears, Charlie."

"Maybe you're right" Charlie paused, "By the way, I feel bad, I never asked how your love life was going" he smirked.

To his surprise, Hermione turned the same colour as his hair – apparently there was something he didn't know… but he knew he was about to find out.

"Well as you know, Ron and I kinda fizzled out. The truth is, I've never really had a boyfriend, only an uncommunicative Bulgarian quidditch fanatic and a Ron. I just think there could be more and I know I sound really sad and naïve. I know I don't need a boyfriend but it would be nice."

Charlie paused, digesting this. "I'm not gonna lie to you Hermione. Love- it is all it's cracked up to be. I know it's better to have loved Aira than not to have loved at all."

Hermione knew that as he said these words, tears were threatening to spill so she sat down beside him and brushed his hair carefully out of his eyes. "Char, I'm so sorry this happened to you. You really don't deserve it. She had no right to do this to you. Besides, everyone thought _she_was the lucky one – she had you!"

He sighed sadly and stared at the battered wooden floor. "She was amazing. I loved her so much."

"Yeah I know you did. She's a bitch Charlie."

"Yeah I know" he grinned and rested his head on the girl's shoulder, noticing that she smelled faintly of a mixture of soap and roses. "A nice combination." It took him a while to notice that he'd said this out loud and only smiled at Hermione's confused expression

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Well that's all for now! please review if you wish! xxx


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